Terpene Tuesday: Ocimene
Evocative Ocimene
Ocimene is a terpene that you might not be super familiar with, but you’ll definitely know the strains it’s found in as they are some serious fan favourites. Its flavour profile will surely bring to you a specific time and place, enjoying one of your favourite strains, since it elicits such a sensory combination.
The ocimene family consists of alpha-ocimene, beta-ocimene, trans-ocimene and cis-ocimene. There are minimal variants in their individual properties and they are indistinguishable by scent. The primary scent and taste profile of the ocimene family is basil. It’s very herbaceous upfront. Secondary notes are citrus, but this can also be noted as a general fruitiness.
According to Leafly, ocimene is a monoterpene and can be found in a wide variety of plants. Hops, kumquats, mangoes, basil, bergamot, lavender, orchids, pepper and a host of other plants contain ocimene in some quantity. This shows the great variance in unique flavour profiles that can be found in the ocimene family.
While it likely won’t be the most dominant terpene, the herbal, sweet notes are what you’ll notice most about ocimene, so it will come as no surprise to find in the following strains:
Haven St. Cosmic Thunder
Sugarleaf Jack Haze
Ocimene pairs well with limonene to enhance a fruity profile, or caryophyllene to enhance the spicy notes and pinene to increase the herbaceous, earthiness. Put on your cannabis sommelier hat and look for some fun flavour combinations to see how ocimene can bring a truly unique taste to a variety of strains.
